Tuesday, May 25, 2010

They suck eggs. Green nasty 50 day old eggs that are putrid, smelly,disgu.....i think you get the picture.

I guess we are all guilty of unleashing criticism from time to time...a kind of differing of opinion of what something is presented as and what we perceive it to be. I have no issues with this kind of expression and actively encourage it. It would be a dull world indeed should we all be singing off the same hymn book (which is why the bible's vision of heaven scares the crap out of me..)

But the part i detest is the vicious sniping of another human beings effort. I don't like chick flicks...and so i don't watch em. As Tupac said in lord knows which track (is he really dead?) "You don't have to like it, but please respect it..."

I love what JAB did with the HAHE vid and I got rather disturbed by some of the negative comments that got put up on the bands facebook page. They weren't constructive...just the usual "This is a shit video....by 2 yr old brother could do better..." vibe.

Sorry. They can't.

Which is why the final speech/review from Anton Ego in Ratatouille are so apt.

*SPOILER ALERT*

If you have not watched the movie yet...what on earth are you waiting for??

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talents, new creations. The new needs friends"

Friday, May 14, 2010

Right...so CCK gazetted new rules that aim to regulate the abuse of a dominant companies dominant position.

Well...here's my 5 cents (adjusted for inflation)

1. In any sector of any economy...the dominant player calls the shots. Kenya Airways can (and does) charge a premium for inland routes in Africa. Simply because there isn't a viable competitor that can offer the number of connections and frequencies it offers to these destinations. By the same breadth, Safaricom finds it very profitable to keep its users in a walled garden where they can be milked in relative peace and serenity. Breaking the "Safaricom club" is probably the key case study for most marketing professionals now. 1st person to crack it can expect to cash in heavily...until big green counters.

2. Kenyans accept and embrace mediocrity. You see it in the leaders we elect, in the poor standards of service we put up with from government and some businesses (KPLC are you listening??) and more area than i care to delve into. Safaricom has been no exception and has in the past been consistently underwhelmed subscriber with sub-par service. That said, the green giant is trying to up its game in terms of service delivery and have succeeded in some measure.

3. The contentious 3G licencing fee: CCK set the fee at $25M. Safaricom ponied up the cash and went happily on its way. Zain (then Celtel) felt the tag was too steep at the time and focused on improving the quality of its calls. Well....i guess we all know how that turned out. In their defense, Zain had little option as far as broad band strategies to pursue are concerned. The only other viable alternative is Wimax...which is a "fixed" as opposed to mobile technology. Wimax has a considerably steeper acceptance and upgrade path for consumers and presents several integration issues for a telco. Compound that with a lack of available spectrum and you are left with a sitting duck.

I get where the 3 entrants are at. They all have mother companies to report back to....and their balance sheets have more red stuff than all blood-banks in the region combined. So they will call for back up and hope that they get some kryptonite rock....coz a pissed of Goliath has the ability to drop kick their butts into 3 continents..

Friday, May 7, 2010

I may be in over my head where this blogging thing is concerned. The most critical thing about it is that i simply won't make the time for it. That's why I deeply admire the peeps whose blogs I follow. It takes some dedication to think up a topic, write out a draft, refine it and put it out there for the unwashed masses to consume.

Then you come back to check out the comments and find:

Nothing

the juvenile clowns with their "1st!!!" and other similarly trivial input or

the born critic who claims they can type better using their teeth and wonder if you substituted grey matter for warm dog vomit.

But in their midst, there are the gems who give you valuable feedback and insight. And more often than not, these would be the seeds of the next story you embark on exploring.

In the meantime, i wonder what timing works best for these endeavours...I'vecontemplated doing a 5 am post...but the blankets consistently execute their seize and detain campaign on me...

About Me

This is your afri-geek dude..technophile that truly and soulfully believes that tech and its potential to change lives in Africa. I've been on a journey to discover what my contribution to this reality is.